Poll: Best Head Coaching Hire Of 2024 Offseason
As shown by our tracker, seven NBA teams underwent head coaching searches in the 2024 offseason. One of those teams — the Wizards — retained their previous head coach; Brian Keefe simply had his interim tag removed when he landed the permanent job at the end of May.
It could be difficult to judge the short-term performance of a few of the newly hired head coaches during the 2024/25 season, largely due to factors outside of their control — the Nets (Jordi Fernandez), Hornets (Charles Lee) and Pistons (J.B. Bickerstaff) will likely join the Wizards (and Keefe) near the bottom of the league’s standings.
It’s quite possible that someone from that group will eventually emerge as an excellent hire, perhaps even the best of this offseason, but it would be pretty surprising if it happens during the upcoming season. Of course, if any of those four clubs exceeds expectations in ’24/25, then the head coach (or head coaches) will garner positive attention, understandably so.
The other three teams who hired new lead coaches — the Cavaliers (Kenny Atkinson), Lakers (J.J. Redick) and Suns (Mike Budenholzer) — all made the playoffs last season, with each winning between 47 and 49 regular season games. They’ll all be hoping that new voices and schemes will help produce better results in ’24/25.
The Lakers and Suns were quickly dispatched in their first-round matchups with the Nuggets and Timberwolves, respectively, leading to the firings of Darvin Ham and Frank Vogel, the latter of whom still had four guaranteed years left on his contract. The Cavs, meanwhile, fired Bickerstaff after reaching the second round of the postseason for the first time since LeBron James left for Los Angeles.
Atkinson reportedly received support from Donovan Mitchell, who wound up signing a maximum-salary extension with Cleveland. The Cavs also gave lucrative long-term extensions to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, doubling down on their core four that also features Darius Garland, despite external questions about how they all fit together.
Fernandez, Lee and Redick are all first-time NBA head coaches; Redick doesn’t even have experience as an assistant, though he did play in the league for 15 years. Keefe’s head coaching experience is limited — he compiled an 8-31 record as interim coach last season.
Atkinson (Nets), Bickerstaff (Rockets, Grizzlies, Cavs) and Budenholzer (Hawks, Bucks) are all veteran NBA head coaches. Budenholzer is the most accomplished of the three, compiling a 484-317 (.604 winning percentage) regular season record and 56-48 (.538 win%) postseason mark over 10 seasons with Atlanta in Milwaukee, including an NBA Championship in 2021.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Budenholzer will find success with Phoenix. The Suns have undeniable talent at the top of the roster, led by Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, but they also have limited assets to upgrade the rest of their roster, not to mention the roster building restrictions they face as a result of operating over the second tax apron.
As for the Lakers, they had a very quiet offseason, only making a couple minor changes to the roster. While they’re in a major market and are one of the league’s marquee franchises, with plenty of media attention to match, it seems like a stretch to think that adding Redick and some veteran assistants — including two former head coaches — will be enough to get more out of a roster that has some pretty glaring flaws. Time will tell.
We want to know what you think. Which of the seven teams made the best head coaching hire this offseason?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts.
International Notes: McLemore, Thornwell, Musa, Dragic
Free agent guard Ben McLemore, who played nine NBA seasons from 2013-2022, has signed with Turkish club Yukatel Merkezefendi, the team announced (via Twitter). The 31-year-old former lottery pick spent last season with AEK Athens (Greece) and CB Breogan (Spain).
McLemore was arrested and jailed in Oregon in April and faces multiple felony sexual assault charges. The charges, which include first-degree rape, stem from an alleged incident in 2021, when McLemore was a member of the Trail Blazers.
Here are a few more international notes:
- Former NBA wing Sindarius Thornwell has signed a one-year contract with Zastal Zielona Gora, the Polish team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link). As Dario Skerletic of Sportando notes, Thornwell spent last season in Russia playing for Avtodor Saratov. A former second-round pick (48th overall in 2017), Thornwell played four NBA seasons with the Clippers, Pelicans and Magic, last suiting up for Orlando during the 2020/21 season.
- Real Madrid star Dzanan Musa is discussing a contract extension with the Spanish powerhouse, he told Emela Burdzovic of Klix.ba. The former Nets guard/forward said he hasn’t ruled out a potential NBA return, but he’s not focused on that possibility right now. “Talks for a new contract are underway, but that does not mean I have other plans,” Musa said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “Of course, there is a possibility of returning to the United States, but I do not want to talk about it. I am very happy at Real, and I hope that with a good offer, I can stay at Real for many years.” Still just 25 years old, Musa was the 29th pick of the 2018 draft.
- The Slovenian basketball federation has retired Goran Dragic‘s No. 3 jersey ahead of his farewell game on Saturday, relays Askounis of Eurohoops. “Words and actions are not enough to express gratitude and respect for such a great player as Goran Dragic,” noted KZS president Matej Erjavec. “His extraordinary career, his approach to wearing the jersey of the Slovenian national team, and his success on the court speak for themselves. Goran Dragic deserves to be honored for everything he has done for Slovenian basketball.” Dragic helped lead Slovenia to a EuroBasket title in 2017, claiming MVP honors in the process.
Cavaliers Founder Nick Mileti Passes Away At Age 93
Cavaliers founder Nick Mileti passed away on Wednesday at the age of 93, the team announced in a press release.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers are saddened to learn of the passing of Nick Mileti, the beloved founder whose passion and vision ignited the spirit of Cavaliers basketball in our great city,” the club said in a statement. “A true pioneer in the world of sports, Nick was not just a leader; he was a dreamer who transformed that dream into reality for countless fans in Cleveland.
“Inducted into the inaugural class of the Cavaliers Wall of Honor in 2019, Nick’s legacy is forever etched in the history of our franchise. His journey began as a Cleveland-area lawyer, and in 1968, he took a bold step by purchasing the Cleveland Arena. Just two years later, he led a dedicated group that brought the Cavaliers to life, introducing our team to the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1970.
“Nick had a grand vision for the future of basketball in Cleveland, culminating in the construction of the Richfield Coliseum, which opened its doors in 1974 as the largest arena in the NBA. For 20 unforgettable years, the Coliseum was home to the Cavaliers, a place where memories were made, and dreams were realized.”
According to ESPN, Mileti remained a part of the Cavs’ ownership group until 1980. He also owned Cleveland’s MLB franchise, the Guardians (then known as the Indians), in the the 1970s.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Mileti’s family and friends.
Suns Notes: Booker, Little, Durant
He didn’t garner as much media attention as some of his teammates, but Devin Booker‘s excellent all-around play for Team USA at the Olympics is a useful point of reference for how the Suns could utilize him in 2024/25, writes Seerat Sohi of The Ringer.
As Sohi details, Booker was frequently utilized in an off-ball role early in his career, before the arrival of Chris Paul. While the 27-year-old developed as a play-maker during his time with Paul and the team found plenty of success — including making the NBA Finals in 2021 — the team’s offense became increasingly heliocentric. That trend continued in 2023/24 after Paul’s departure, with Booker often playing point guard.
With free agent addition Tyus Jones expected to start at point guard and orchestrate the offense, Booker’s off-ball play will be crucial if the team hopes to make the most of its collective talent, according to Sohi, who says playing off the ball more often could help the 27-year-old defensively as well.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- Aside from the financial component, the Suns are waiving Nassir Little because he was unlikely to crack their rotation this season, per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Phoenix will use the stretch provision on Little’s contract, reducing his cap hit over the next three seasons while instead paying him about $3.1MM annually over the next seven years. By releasing Little and fellow forward E.J. Liddell, the Suns will only have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, giving them more roster flexibility heading into the season, Bourguet notes.
- Will star forward Kevin Durant return to Team USA for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? That’s obviously too many years away for a definitive answer, but Durant fueled speculation by writing “see yall (sic) in LA” on Twitter. The 14-time All-Star will be nearing his 40th birthday by the time the 2028 Olympic Games roll around.
Nuggets Notes: Murray, Kroenke, Roster, Caldwell-Pope
Injuries were a significant factor in Jamal Murray‘s struggles in the 2024 postseason and during the Olympics in Paris this summer, Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said on Wednesday, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
“When you’re going against the best in the world, whether it’s in the NBA playoffs or in the Olympics, you’re gonna get (opponents’) best shot And if you’re not 100% and you know you want to be out there still, you’re gonna try to fight through it like Jamal is,” Kroenke said after participating in the Gardner Hendrick Pro-Am, part of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club.
“But I know he wasn’t 100%. I know getting him back there is a big step toward seeing the Jamal who was throwing up triple-doubles in the NBA Finals.”
As Durando writes, the Canadian guard was visibly slowed by a left calf strain during Denver’s second-round playoff loss to Minnesota. Kroenke said Murray has also been battling an ankle issue in addition to other ailments, though he didn’t specify when that particular injury occurred.
A report in late June indicated that the Nuggets and Murray were nearing an agreement on a four-year, $208.45MM maximum extension, but a deal has yet to be finalized. While Kroenke declined to go into specifics on when a contract might come to fruition, he remains confident in Murray’s abilities, Durando adds.
“Jamal’s a great player, one of the best in the NBA,” Kroenke said, “and however he felt personally that the Olympics were for him, just reading some of his quotes, I know he was frustrated a little bit. So I have no doubt that he’ll use that the right way for motivation going into the season.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets, courtesy of Durando (Twitter links):
- According to Kroenke, Denver’s roster is “pretty set” for the 2024/25 season, though he acknowledged things can change quickly in the NBA. “Our eyes and ears are always open,” he said. “The new (CBA) rules are interesting, and how some of those trades work once you’re over the tax.” The Nuggets’ roster, which is currently at the offseason limit of 21 players, includes 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with all three of the team’s two-way slots filled.
- The Nuggets’ president also touched on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s free agency, Durando notes. A key three-and-D player for Denver the past two seasons, Caldwell-Pope signed a three-year, $66MM deal with Orlando after declining his ’24/25 player option. Kroenke said that while the Nuggets made the veteran wing some offers, they were also leery of the second apron restrictions in the new CBA, emphasizing that maintaining the “flexibility to retain the guys we want to keep” in the future was a key factor in contract talks. Kroenke also expressed confidence in the team’s young players and their ability to take on expanded roles.
- In case you missed it, the Nuggets are rumored to be interested in Hornets guard Vasilije Micic, one of Nikola Jokic‘s teammates on the Serbian national team. Serbia won the bronze medal at the Olympics.
Mavericks To Add Makhtar N’Diaye To Front Office
The Mavericks plan to hire former NBA big man Makhtar N’Diaye as their director of pro personnel and international scouting, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (via Twitter).
N’Diaye only appeared in four games for the Grizzlies back in 1999, but he made history as the first player from Senegal to play in the NBA. N’Diaye was a scout for the Knicks for nine years, Spears notes.
N’Diaye, 50, played college ball at Michigan and North Carolina and spent time in the NBA D League (now known as the G League) after his stint with Memphis. He also played professionally in France.
The Mavericks have been busy the past handful of months, giving multiyear extensions to head coach Jason Kidd and GM Nico Harrison and making the NBA Finals in June for the first time since 2011.
They made some roster changes this offseason, essentially swapping out Josh Green, Derrick Jones and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes. They also brought back Spencer Dinwiddie on a one-year, minimum-salary contract.
Sixers To Sign Guerschon Yabusele To One-Year Deal
11:33am: Yabusele has agreed to a one-year deal with Philadelphia, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). It will be minimum-salary contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Yabusele has two years of NBA experience, so his salary for 2024/25 will be $2,087,519.
11:06am: The Sixers and Guerschon Yabusele are in “serious talks” about a contract that would bring the French forward stateside, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The news is pretty surprising, given that Yabusele’s buyout clause with Real Madrid is valued at $2.5MM — multiple NBA teams viewed that figure as “prohibitive,” according to Marc Stein (Substack link). However, Charania says Yabusele is working to resolve his situation with the Spanish powerhouse.
As our Luke Adams outlined a couple days ago, NBA teams are only permitted to pay up to $850K this season for an international player’s buyout without that money counting toward their cap. According to Charania, the remaining $1.65MM is what’s being discussed between Yabusele and Real Madrid.
The 16th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics for two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games, including five starts. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.
The 28-year-old has become a star in Europe over the past several seasons, the past three of which came with Real Madrid. He was one of the top players at the Olympics in Paris, averaging 14 points per game and earning second-team honors while helping France capture the silver medal.
Shortly after France lost to the United States in the gold-medal game, Yabusele indicated he was eager to return to the NBA, and now a deal appears imminent.
Two NBA Restricted Free Agents Remain Unsigned
Seven weeks into the NBA’s 2024/25 league year, there are only two restricted free agents who have yet to reach agreements on new contracts, and both players ended last season as Cavaliers.
Here are the unsigned RFAs:
- Isaac Okoro ($11,828,974 qualifying offer)
- Emoni Bates (two-way qualifying offer)
As our Luke Adams outlined last week, the Pistons are the only team in the NBA with cap room remaining, seemingly leaving little in the form of leverage for Okoro, who was the fifth overall pick of the 2020 draft. Detroit has about $10.2MM in space below the cap right now, and that figure could increase to almost $18MM if the team released big man Paul Reed, who is on a non-guaranteed deal.
Okoro makes some sense as a target for the Pistons, given his age (he’s 23), defensive pedigree, and familiarity with new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who coached him in Cleveland. But there haven’t been any hints that the Pistons are considering an offer sheet for Okoro, and they’d probably have to waive Reed to put together an offer strong enough to dissuade the Cavs from matching.
You could also make the argument that Okoro would be somewhat redundant on a roster featuring recent lottery picks Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland, a couple of forwards known for their defense and not their jump shots. Okoro converted a career-high 39.1% of his three-point tries in ’23/24, but he’s a reluctant shooter for a wing, only attempting 3.1 per contest in 27.3 MPG. Having two of those three players on the court at the same time would really cramp offensive spacing, which has been an issue for Detroit for several seasons.
The Pistons currently have Jaden Ivey, Simone Fontecchio, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley on the roster as well, players who figure to be vying for minutes at the two and three. Veteran Tobias Harris is another option at small forward, though he typically spends more time at power forward. Even if they really like Okoro, playing time certainly wouldn’t be handed to him.
The Cavs have reportedly discussed a sign-and-trade deal with the Nets involving Okoro and Dorian Finney-Smith, but it sounds like those talks didn’t get serious. A reunion with Cleveland still feels like the mostly likely outcome for Okoro, the question is more about what type of contract he might sign.
Given how much money Cleveland has committed in extensions this offseason for Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, plus Darius Garland‘s max contract, the team’s salary outlook for ’25/26 and beyond is looking quite expensive.
While the Cavs reportedly value Okoro both on and off the court, it makes sense that they would be reluctant to offer him a contract in the range of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception for multiple seasons. Still, even in a “worst case” scenario, Okoro could simply accept his $11.8MM qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency — perhaps opening more options — in 2025.
Bates’ situation is more straightforward. The Cavaliers have one two-way spot earmarked for JT Thor, but still have a pair of two-way openings. There’s an expectation that Bates, who spent his rookie season on a two-way deal with Cleveland, will return on another two-way contract.
Lakers To Retire Michael Cooper’s No. 21 In January
The Lakers will retire Michael Cooper‘s No. 21 jersey on January 13 when they host San Antonio, the team announced (via Twitter).
A Los Angeles native, Cooper was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April. He won five championships while spending his entire NBA playing career with the Lakers. Cooper was primarily known for his excellent defense, earning eight All-Defensive nods and winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.
Cooper averaged 8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.2 SPG while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 83.3% from the free throw line in 873 regular season games from 1978-90. He primarily came off the bench, only starting 94 contests, though he was certainly a valuable sixth man, averaging 27.1 MPG in his career.
Cooper has coached for several different organizations since his playing days ended, including as an assistant for the Lakers and Nuggets. He was briefly interim head coach of Denver as well. Cooper won back-to-back WNBA titles as head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002 and also won a D League title with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in 2006 (the D League has since been rebranded as the NBA G League).
Now 68, Cooper is currently a men’s assistant coach at Cal State Los Angeles. The Division II school had its best-ever season in 2023/24, notes Paul Helms of the university’s website.
2024/25 NBA Schedules By Team
The NBA has officially unveiled its full regular season schedule for 2024/25.
The season will begin on Tuesday, October 22 and wrap up Sunday, April 13. The play-in tournament will take place from April 15-18, with the playoffs beginning on April 19.
The league’s announcement highlighted the fact that each team is only scheduled for 80 games at this point. That’s due to the in-season tournament, now known as the NBA Cup, whose schedule was previously revealed.
The league also confirmed several previously reported marquee matchups, including its five-game Christmas Day slate, an opening night doubleheader of Knicks at Celtics and Timberwolves at Lakers, and games taking place in Mexico City and Paris.
Listed below are links to the full 2024/25 season schedules for each NBA team, organized by conference and division. The team-by-team schedules for ’24/25 can also be viewed in a single document right here, while the full schedule by date can be viewed here.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Central Division
Southeast Division
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
Pacific Division
Southwest Division